REPORT 


! 


OF 


THE  COMMISSIONERS 

APPOINTED  ON  THE  PART  OF 

SHEffl 

UNDER  A  RESOLUTION  OF  THE  LEGISLATURE  RELATIVE  TO  THE  USE 
OF  THE  WATERS  OF  THE 

RIVER  DELAWARE. 


READ  IN  HOUSE  OF  REPRESENTATIVES,  DECEMBER  13,  1834. 


HARRISBURG : 

PRINTED  BY  WELSH  &  PATTERSON. 

1834. 


) 


I 


■ 


REPORT,  &c. 

To  the  Senate  and  House  of  Representatives  of  the  Commonwealth 
of  Pennsylvania . 

Gentlemen  I  herewith  transmit  the  report  of  the  commissioners 
appointed  on  the  part  of  the  State  of  Pennsylvania,  under  certain  reso¬ 
lutions  of  the  Legislature,  “  relative  to  the  use  of  the  waters  of  the 
Delaware,”  together  with  the  agreement  executed  by  them  in  conjunc¬ 
tion  with  the  commissioners  appointed  oh  the  part  of  the  State  of 
New  Jersey,  in  relation  to  that  subject,  and  accompanying  documents, 
to  which  I  respectfully  invite  the  immediate  attention  of  the  General 
Assembly.  GEO :  WOLF. 

Harrisburg,  December  12th,  1834. 


To  George  Wolf, 

Governor  of  the  Commonwealth  of  Pennsylvania : 

The  undersigned,  commissioners  -appointed  in  obedience  to  two 
resolutions  of  the  Legislature  of  Pennsylvania,  “  relative  to  the  use  of 
the  waters  of  the  Delaware,”  approved  the  10th  April,  1832,  and  the 
8th  February,  1833,  respectfully  report: 

That  on  the  22d  November  last,  they  executed  an  agreement  with 
»  Garret  D.  Wall,  John  M.  Sherrerd,  and  Peter  J.  Stryker,  Esquires, # 
commissioners  appointed  by  virtue  of  similar  resolutions  of  the  Legis¬ 
lature  of  New  Jersey,  which  is  herewith  transmitted.  Should  this 
agreement  meet  the  approbation  of  the  Legislatures  of  both  States,  the 
controversy  which  has  heretofore  existed  between  them,  in  regard  to 
I^the  use  of  the  waters  of  the  Delaware,  will  be  finally,  and,  they  be¬ 
lieve,  happily  adjusted. 

—  It  would  be  useless  to  detail  all  the  proceedings  of  the  joint  com¬ 
missioners,  which  brought  them  to  the  final  result :  The  undersigned 
j  will,  therefore,  confine  themselves  to  a  brief  exposition  of  the  reasons 
why  they  entered  into  such  an  arrangement,  and  then  leave  it  to  the 

>  wisdom  of  the  Legislatures  of  the  respective  States  for  their  adoption 
”■  or  rejection. 

When  they  visited  the  Delaware,  in  September  last,  they  found  that 
:  the  Delaware  &  Raritan  canal  company  were  enjoying  the  use  of 
“  the  waters  of  the  river,  for  the  purpose  of  supplying  their  canal,  by 

>  means  of  a  feeder  at  the  head  of  Bull’s  Island.  The  Canal  Confirms- 
j* sioners  of  Pennsylvania,  had  also  erected  temporary  but  very  inade- 
^quate  works  at  Wells’  Falls,  by  means  of  which,  the  Delaware  divi¬ 
sion  of  the  Pennsylvania  canal  below  New  Hope  was  partially  sup¬ 
plied  with  water.  These  works  had,  on  both  vsides,  been  constructed 
in  violation  of  the  spiritrof  the  compact  of  1783,  between  the  two 
States,  “  for  the  purpose  of  settling  the  jurisdiction  of  the  river  Dela- 


C?  ■  y>  .iyk  C'' 

JLO  CsSes 


I 


4 


ware.”  What  then  was  to  be  done?  It  could  not  be  supposed  that 
either  State  would  abandon  the  use  of  her  canals  for  want  of  water, 
whilst  the  river  was  flowing  past  them.  The  true  policy,  then,  was 
to  grant  to  each  as  much  and  only  as  much  water  as  might  be  neces- 
sary  to  supply  her  canals,  but  under  such  restrictions  that  the  least 
possible  injury  might  be  done  to  the  navigation  of  the  river.  The 
right  to  the  free  use  of  the  stream  belonged  to  the  citizens  of  both 
States,  long  before  these  canals  were  projected.  Those  most  interested 
in  its  enjoyment,  area  hardy  and  industrious  race  of  watermen,  who 
have  made  “  the  running  of  the  river”  the  business  of  their  lives.  Any 
agreement  which  should  fail  to  secure  their  rights,  would  not  and 
ought  not  to  be  sanctioned  by  either  State. 

A  great  error  was  committed  in  the  location  of  the  Pennsylvania 
canal,  by  not  making  its  bottom  level  two  feet  lower.  Had  this  been 
done,  it  might  have  been  supplied  with  water  from  the  river,  through 
the  feeder,  without  the  aid  of  a  dam.  This  mistake  was  not  discovered 
until  it  was  too  late  to  be  corrected  without  great  expense  and  trouble, 
and  without  abandoning  the  use  of  the  whole  canal,  until  the  section 
immediately  below  New  Hope  could  be  excavated  to  the  proper  level. 

It  then  became  proper  to  obtain  the  consent  of  New  Jersey  to  the 
erection  of  such  a  dam  as  would,  at  all  times,  sdpply  the  Pennsylvania 
canal  with  water,  and  thus  place  it  on  an  equal  footing  with  the 
Delaware  Ac  Raritan  canal,  which,  by  means  of  the  admirable  posi¬ 
tion  of  its  feeder,  abstracts  the  water  from  the  river  without  any  dam. 

The  agreement  secures  to  Pennsylvania  the  right  of  constructing  a 
dam  at  Wells’  Falls,  not  exceeding  three  feet  in  height  above  the  sur¬ 
face  of  low  water  at  the  head  of  the  Falls-,  with  a  sluice  sixty  feet  « 
wide.  In  the  opinion  of  Mr.  Gay,  the  engineer  employed  by  the  Penn¬ 
sylvania  commissioners,  such  a  dam  of  two  feet  in  height,  would  be 
sufficient  to  answer  the  purpose.  In  making  a  permanent  provision, 
however,  it  was  thought  best  to  insert  three  feet,  and  thus  avoid  all 


difficulties  which  might  occur  in  time  to  come.  This  was  deemed 
the  more  proper,  as  Mr.  Douglas,  the  engineer  of  the  New  Jersey 
commissioners,  is  of  opinion  that  a  higher  dam  than  two  feet  would  be 
required.  It  is  strongly  recommended  that  this  dam  shall  be  raised 
no  higher  than  may  be  absolutely  necessary. 

In  considering  the  provisions  made  to  secure  and  facilitate  the  river 
navigation,  it  will  be  necessary  to  view  them  both  as  regards  to  the 
descending  and  the  ascending  trade.  And  first  in  regard  to  the  de¬ 
scending  trade : 

Wells’  Falls  have  presented  more  difficulties  to  watermen  than  any 
other  portion  of  the  river  between  Easton  and  tide.  Indeed  they 
have,  at  thi&  place,  been  obliged  to  employ  pilots  at  considerable  ex¬ 
pense  ;  and  even  then,  their  craft  have  often  been  cast  away.  The 
channel,  for  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  below  the  contemplated 
dam,  passes  between  two  ledges  of  rocks,  each  terminated  by  large 
and  high  rocks  between  fifty  and  sixty  feet  apart.  If  this  channel  be 
missed,  the  descending  raft  or  boat  is  made  a  wreck,  unless  when  the 
water  is  very  high.  The  proposed  sluice  will  be  a  perfect  security 


5 


against  this  clanger,  and  will  render  the  employment  of  pilots  unneces¬ 
sary.  According  to  the  language  of  the  agreement,  its  walls  must  be 
made  of  substantial  timber  crib  work,  filled  with  stones,  and  the  upper 
ends  thereof,  extending  into  the  dam,  shall  be  made  sufficiently  high  to 
afford  an  index  to  watermen  of  the  channel  prepared  for  them.  It  must 
be  “  at  least  three  hundred  feet  long,  or  longer  if  necessary  to  make  a 
secure  descending  navigation.”  The  descending  craft  will  thus  be  safely 
passed  thro’  these  ledges  of  rocks  which  constitute  the  greatest  danger  in 
the  Falls,  with  the  increased  depth  of  water  which  will  be  forced  into  the 
channel  by  the  dam.  Indeed,  judging  from  the  opinions  of  the  engineers, 
as  well  as  those  of  experienced  watermen,  a  similar  dam  and  sluice  ought 
to  have  been  constructed,  merely  to  improve  the  descending  naviga¬ 
tion  of  the  river,  without  any  reference  to  the  supply  of  the  Pennsyl¬ 
vania  canal  with  water.  The  experience  which  we  have  had  of  the 
effects  of  dams  and  sluices  on  our  other  rivers,  proves  that  such  works 
as  those  proposed  ought  not  to  alarm  the  fears  of  the  most  timid. 
That  they  will  be  executed  in  good  faith,  according  to  the  terms  of 
the  agreement,  should  it  be  sanctioned,  cannot  for  a  moment  be 
doubted. 

Next  in  regard  to  the  ascending  river  trade.  This  is  now  conducted 
by  what  are  called  Durham  boats.  These  are  falling  gradually  into 
disuse,  and  it  is  probable  that  they  will  disappear  in  the  course  of  a 
few  years.  The  whole  ascending  trade,  from  the  nature  of  things, 
must  ere  long  pass  through  the  canals  on  either  side  of  the  river. 
Whilst  any  citizen,  however,  desires  to  use  the  natural  stream  for 
this  purpose,  his  right  to  do  so  is  unquestionable.  The  proposed 
agreement  provides  for  such  persons  a  much  better  and  more  secure 
navigation  than  they  have  ever  enjoyed.  It  takes  their  boats  into  the 
Pennsylvania  canal  below  the  falls,  by  two  wooden  locks  at  the  mouth 
of  Neely’s  creek,  and  passes  them  out  into  the  dam  above  the  falls 
through  the  guard  lock ;  and  this  free  of  toll.  The  most  difficult  and 
dangerous^  navigation  of  the  whole  river  is  thus  avoided. 

The  cost  of  these  improvements,  according  to  the  estimate  of  Mr. 
Gay,  will  amount  to  827,000. 

Whilst  this  arrangement  secures  both  the  ascending  and  descend¬ 
ing  trade  of  the  river,  it  provides  the  means,  without  any  additional 
expense,  of  a  communication  between  the  Pennsylvania,  and  the 
Delaware  and  Raritan  canal.  The  guard  lock  necessary  at  the  head 
of  our  feeder,  and  the  deep  water  which  will  be  created  across  the 
river  by  the  dam,  will,  should  the  Delaware  and  Raritan  company 
lock  down  into  it  from  their  feeder,  make  this  communication  com¬ 
plete.  Although  the  agreement  does  not  stipulate  that  this  shall  be 
done,  and  both  parties  are  at  perfect  liberty  to  act  as  they  think 
proper,  yet  the  public  interest  and  convenience  must  soon  accomplish 
this  purpose.  Indeed  we  have  good  reason  to  believe  that  the  Ca¬ 
nal  Commissioners  have  it  already  in  serious  contemplation. 

There  is  no  place  on  the  river  where  this  communication  can  be 
conveniently  effected,  with  a  due  regard  to  the  interests  of  Pennsyl¬ 
vania,  except  at  Wells’  Falls.  It  is  natural  for  the  Delaware  and 


6 


Raritan  canal  company  to  prefer  that  it  should  be  made  at  Black’s 
Eddy,  which  is  but  a  very  short  distance  above  the  head  of  their 
feeder.  But  the  consequence  would  be,  that  Pennsylvania  must  lose 
a  large  portion  of  toll  upon  her  canal,  between  Black’s  Ed<w  and 
New  Hope,  a  distance  of  about  ten  miles,  without  any  corresponding 
advantages  to  the  public.  For  whether  a  boat  passes  out  of  one  canal 
into  the  other,  at  Black’s  Eddy,  or  at  New  Hope,  can  make  no  ma¬ 
terial  difference  except  to  those  who  receive  the  tolls. 

From  this  connexion  at  New  Hope,  the  Delaware  and  Raritan  ca¬ 
nal  company  must,  notwithstanding,  derive  important  advantages.  It 
would  be  difficult  to  form  any  estimate  of  the  quantity  of  coal  from 
the  Lehigh  which  must  thus  be  drawn  into  their  canal  for  the  purpose 
of  seeking  a  market  at  New-York.  Suffice  it  to  say,  that  it  would 
be  a  fruitful  and  annually  increasing  source  of  revenue. 

That  portion  of  New  Jersey  along  the  route  of  the  canal  is  greatly 
in  need  of  lime,  and  the  country  around  New  Hope,  in  Pennsylvania , 
can  supply  this  want  to  any  extent  which  may  be  required.  Indeed 
it  is  highly  probable  that  this  article  may  be  sent  in  large  quantities 
through  the  same  channel  to  the  city  of  New  York.  Besides,  the 
feeder  was  originally  destined  merely  to  supply  the  canal  with  water, 
and  not  to  become  a  source  of  profit  to  the  company.  By  the  pro¬ 
posed  connexion,  however,  that  part  of  it  between  Lambertsville  (op¬ 
posite  to  New  Hope)  and  Trenton,  will  become  in  itself  an  important 
and  profitable  canal. 

A  connexion  at  this  point  will  furnish  to  the  people  of  both  States, 
along  the  Delaware,  the  benefits  of  the  rival  markets  of  New  York 
and  Philadelphia;  and  being  made  as  near  to  the  latter  city  as  prac¬ 
ticable,  will  yield  no  undue  advantages  to  the  former. 

Had  the  views  of  the  Commissioners  been  limited  to  the  best  mode 
of  supplying  the  canal  below  New  Hope  with  water,  they  might  proba¬ 
bly  have  recommended  a  dam  and  feeder  at  Cutbush’s  Island.  But 
when  they  consider  this  subject  as  essentially  connected  with  a  com¬ 
munication  between  the  two  canals,  they  have  no  hesitation  in  recom¬ 
mending  Wells’  Falls  as  the  place  from  whence  Pennsylvania  ought 
to  take  the  water  for  this  purpose. 

The  whole  of  this  branch  of  the  question  has  been  so  clearly  elu¬ 
cidated  in  a  paper  presented  to  the  Commissioners  by  Mr.  Ingham, 
who  resides  near  the  spot,  and  possesses  both  a  general  and  local 
knowledge  of  the  subject,  that  they  take  the  liberty  of  transmitting 
it  with  their  report. 

From  the  report  of  Mr.  Kneass,  the  engineer  formerly  employed 
by  Mr.  Sergeant,  under  the  direction  of  the  board,  it  appears  that  at 
the  time  he  made  his  examinations,  a  serious  obstruction  to  the  navi¬ 
gation  of  the  river  existed  at  Scudder’s  Falls,  which  had  been  placed 
there  by  the  Trenton  Delaware  Falls  company.  In  October  last, 
when  the  Commissioners  of  both  States  met  at  Trenton,  they  went 
upon  the  ground,  and  found  that  it  had  been  so  far  removed  as  no 
longer  to  present  any  very  serious  impediment.  The  company  have 
since  adopted  a  resolution  pledging  themselves  that  there  shall  not  in 


7 


future  be  any  cause  of  complaint ;  and  the  State  of  New  Jersey  has, 
by  the  agreement,  undertaken,  that  this  obstruction  shall  be  removed 
or  otherwise  obviated. 

The.  undersigned  Commissioners  herewith  transmit  the  report  of 
Mr.  Kneass,  of  the  2d  April,  1834,  together  with  his  drawings  of  the 
river  from  Easton  to  tide  ;  the  copy  of  a  letter  of  instructions  address 
ed  to  Mr.  Gay  on  the  17th  October  last,  with  his  report  of  the  27th 
of  the  same  month ;  a  copy  of  the  report  of  Mr.  Douglas  to  the  New 
Jersey  Commissioners  ,*  and  the  paper  submitted  by  Mr.  Ingham  to 
the  Pennsylvania  Commissioners,  at  New  Hope,  on  the  27th  Septem¬ 
ber  last. 

In  conclusion,  the  undersigned  embrace  this  occasion  publicly  to 
express  their  sense  of  the  liberal,  frank  and  friendly  disposition  man¬ 
ifested  by*  the  New  Jersey  Commissioners,  throughout  the  whole  of 
the  proceedings. 

With  sentiments  of  the  highest  consideration, 

We  remain  truly  yours, 

JAMES  BUCHANAN, 
JOSEPH  BURKE, 
ROBERTS  VAUX. 

December  1834. 


Copy  of  a  letter  of  instructions  addressed  to  Edward  F.  Gay ,  Esq- 

Lancaster,  17th  October,  1834. 

Dear  Sir  : — Mr.  Kneass,  the  former  engineer  of  the  Commission¬ 
ers,  having  made  no  report  concerning  the  practicability  of  supplying 
the  Pennsylvania  canal  with  water  from  Wells’  Falls ;  you  are  hereby 
requested  to  make  an  examination  of  that  portion  of  the  river,  with 
this  view.  Should  you  find  it  practicable,  you  will  report  to  the  Com¬ 
missioners  the  best  mode  of  supplying  the  canal  from  this  point,  with 
the  least  possible  injury  to  the  navigation  of  the  river.  Please  to  be 
particular  in  stating  the  height  of  the  dam  which  may  be  necessary 
for  this  purpose,  and  describing  it  in  other  essential  particulars.  You 
will,  also,  direct  your  attention  to  the  best  mode  of  counteracting  the 
impediments  which  such  a  dam  may  interpose  to  the  ascending  and 
descending  trade  by  the  natural  channel. 

Might  not  the  navigation  of  the  river  be  completely  secured  by  the 
construction  of  an  outlet  lock  above  and  another  below  the  falls  ? — 
And  in  case  it  should  be  deemed  expedient,  to  establish  a  communica¬ 
tion  between  the  Delaware  and  Raritan  canal  and  the  Pennsylvania 
canal,  at  this  point,  would  not  the  upper  lock  serve,  both  to  pass  the 
river  trade,  and  effect  such  a  communication  ? 

We  should  be  pleased  to  have  an  estimate  of  the  expense  of  all 
these  works. 

Does  the  Lehigh,  in  your  opinion,  afford  sufficient  water,  at  all  sea¬ 
sons,  to  supply  the  canal  from  Easton  to  New  Plope  ? 


8 


You  are,  likewise,  requested  to  examine  the  obstruction  whidh  has 
been  erected  at  Scudder’s  Falls  by  the  Trenton  Delaware  Falls  ^com¬ 
pany,  and  inform  us,  whether  their  is,  in  your  judgment,  any  mo^e  of 
restoring  the  navigation,  except  by  entirely  removing  the  nuisanc^. 

There  is  good  reason  to  believe  that,  within  the  last  few  weeks, the 
Delaware  and  Raritan  f  canal  company  have  caused  their  feeder,  at 
Bull’s  Island,  to  be  deepened  a  foot  or  more.  If  this  be  true,  what 
will  be  the  effect  upon  the  navigation  of  the  river  ? 

The  joint  commission  will  meet  at  Trenton,  on  Tuesday  the  29th 
instant :  at  which  time  it  is  expected  that  your  report  will  be  prepared. 

By  order  of  the  Board  of  Pennsylvania  Commissioners. 

JAMES  BUCHANAN,  Chairman . 
Edward  E.  Gay,  Esq.  Engineer, 


MR.  GAY’S  REPORT. 

Lancaster ,  October  2,1th,  1834. 

To  the  Hon.  James  Buchanan, 

Chairman  of  the  Board  of  Pennsylvania  Commissioners. 

Sir: — In  conformity  with  your  instructions  of  the  17th  inst.,  I 
have  made  such  examinations  as  were  deemed  necessary,  to  ascertain 
the  practicability  of  supplying  the  Pennsylvania  canal  with  water,  at 
Wells’  Falls ,  on  the  Delaware  river.  The  result  of  which  is  an  as¬ 
surance,  that  it  is  practicable  to  supply  the  canal  at  that  place. 

As  my  limited  time  will  not  allow  me  to  enter  into  a  general  de¬ 
scription  of  the  river  at  Wells’  Falls ,  I  will  therefore  proceed  im¬ 
mediately  to  describe  the  mode  which  appears  to  me  best  calculated 
to  obtain  the  desired  supply,  without  injury  to  the  navigation  of  the 
river. 

The  present  dam  at  the  Falls  as  constructed  by  the  State  of  Penn¬ 
sylvania,  extends  up  stream  from  its  connexion  with  the  western 
shore,  at  an  angle  of  about  twenty  degrees  deflection  from  it.  It  is 
proposed  to  extend  this  dam  two  hundred  and  sixteen  feet  further  up 
the  stream,  thence  at  a  right  angle  with  the  course  of  the  river,  to 
connect  the  dam  with  the  Eastern,  or  Jersey  shore,  leaving  a  sluice 
of  sixty  feet  wide  in  the  centre  or  main  channel  of  the  river,  for  the 
passage  of  arks,  rafts,  or  other  craft,  descending  the  same. 

The  height  of  the  dam  contemplated,  is  two  feet  above  the  surf  ace 
of  low  water  at  the  head  of  the  Falls ,  and  its  length  exclusive  of  the 
old  dam  will  be  eight  hundred  (800)  feet. 

The  sluice  is  designed  to  be  three  hundred  feet  long,  extending  par¬ 
allel  with  the  stream  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  above,  and  the  same 
distance  below  the  dam,  both  the  sluice  and  dam,  should  be  formed  of 
substantial  timber  crib  work,  filled  with  stone,  and  the  upper  ends  of 
the  sluice  walls  be  made  sufficiently  high,  as  always  to  afford  a  sure 
index  to  the  watermen  of  the  channel  prepared  for  them.  The  length 
of  the  sluice  walls  proposed,  is  such,  as  is  calculated  to  reduce  the  fall 


9 


^to  an  angle,  sufficiently  small  to  admit  the  descending  trade  always  to 
pass  through  with  ease  and  safety. 

The  obstacles  which  nature  has  interposed  at  this  place,  as  a  bar¬ 
rier  to  a  safe  navigation,  are  such,  as  induces  me  to  believe  that  I 
hazard  nothing  in  expressing  my  opinion,  that  the  dam  and  sluice  pro¬ 
posed,  will,  if  properly  constructed,  instead  of  injuring,  be  a  decided 
improvement  to  the  descending  navigation  of  the  Falls. 

The  sluice  will,  by  concentrating  a  much  larger  portion  of  water 
than  has  heretofore  flowed  in  the  natural  boat  channel,  enable  persons 
who  are  at  all  accustomed  to  the  river,  to  pass  these  Falls  without  the 
aid  of  a  Pilot,  which  is  now  considered  necessary.  Indeed,  if  the 
proposed  dam  and  sluice  should  be  constructed,  it  will  be  effecting  a 
valuable  improvement  to  the  river  navigation  at  this  important  point, 
which  the  united  efforts  of  Pennsylvania  and  New  Jersey  should  have 
accomplished  several  years  ago  without  reference  to  iis  utility  as  a 
canal  feeder. 

In  order  to  secure  to  the  people,  the  advantage  of  an  ascending  navi¬ 
gation,  it  is  proposed  to  connect  the  canal  with  the  river  by  a  sett  of 
combined  locks  of  seventeen  feet  lift,  at  or  near  the  mouth  of  Neely’s 
creek,  about  one  mile  below  the  proposed  dam,  which  will  enable 
the  river  craft  to  pass  into  the  canal,  from  whence  they  can  again  be 
returned  to  the  river  by  the  means  of  an  inlet  or  guard  lock  which  can 
be  constructed  to  answer  the  treble  purpose  of  feeding  the  canal,  of 
passing  the  ascending  trade,  and  (if  locks  are  constructed  on  the  Jer¬ 
sey  side  of  the  river,)  of  affording  a  safe  and  easy  connexion  with  the 
Raritan  and  Delaware  canal,  at,  or  near  Lambertsville, 

The  Lehigh  river  has,  during  the  past  season,  afforded  an  ample 
supply  of  water  for  the  canal  from  Easton  to  Newhope,  and  I  am  of 
opinion  that  it  will  always  be  capable  of  doing  so.  The  time  how¬ 
ever  may  come,  when  a  more  active  trade  than  that  of  the  past  season, 
will  show  the  propriety  of  introducing  a  feeder  to  the  canal,  at  some 
point  on  the  Delaware,  above  Newhope. 

My  examination  of  the  obstruction  which  has  been  erected  by  the 
Trenton  water  company,  in  the  river  at  Scudders’  Falls,  enables  me 
to  say,  that  the  navigation  at  that  place  cannot  be  perfectly  restored, 
except  by  the  removal  of  the  mound  which  now  occupies  the  original 
boat  channel.  It  may  however  be  considerably  improved  by  the  re¬ 
moval  of  the  gravel  bar,  deposited  near  the  head  of  the  mound,  and  by 
the  erection  of  a  wing  dam  from  the  outside  of  the  present  channel  to 
the  western  shore  of  the  river,  which  will  by  accumulating  a  greater 
body  of  water  in  the  channel  lessen  the  present  liability  of  boats  to 
ground — impediments  however,  will  always  be  likely  to  accumulate 
at  this  point,  and  render  the  passage  of  boats  difficult,  in  consequence 
of  the  abrupt  termination  of  the  mound,  which  presents  a  check  to  the 
current  at  high  water,  and  thereby  forms  an  eddy,  the  natural  conse¬ 
quence  of  which,  is  a  deposite  of  sand  or  gravel  in  its  immediate 
vicinity. 

In  reference  to  your  enquiry  as  to  the  effect  upon  the  navigation  of 
the  river,  by  deepening  the  head  of  the  feeder  to  the  Raritan  and  Dela- 


10 


ware  at  Bulls’  Island,  I  am  not  prepared  to  give  a  satisfactory  an¬ 
swer.  On  a  visit  to  the  point  in  question,  it  appeared  that  the  works 
contemplated  by  the  company  at  the  entrance  of  the  feeder  were  in¬ 
complete.  The  arrangement  however,  is  one  which  is  calculated  to 
place  at  the  command  of  the  company,  a  large  portion  of  the  river 
during  its  lowest  stages — and  should  the  water  be  drawn  through  the 
feeder,  for  any  other  than  navigable  purposes,  it  would  in  all  proba¬ 
bility  tend  to  injure  the  natural  navigation  of  the  river  during  low 
water. 

It  may  be  proper  to  remark  before  closing  this  report,  that  the  east¬ 
ern  end  of  the  proposed  dam  at  Wells’  Falls,  would  terminate  on  a 
mound  of  solid  rock,  which  forms  the  bank  of  a  Raceway  belonging 
to  the  Raritan  and  Delaware  canal  company,  and  that  by  the  con¬ 
struction  of  the  dam,  the  water  privilege  at  that  place  will  be  materially 
enhanced  in  value. 

In  the  hope  that  you  will  excuse  this  brief  and  hasty  report,  conse¬ 
quent  upon  the  limited  time  allowed  me,  from  other  engagements,  to 
prepare  it,  as  well  as  to  make  the  examination, 

I  remain, 

Very  respectfully, 

Your  obedient  servant, 

EDW’D.  F.  GAY, 
Engineer . 

The  estimated  cost  of  the  works  proposed  at  Wells’  Falls,  is  as 
follows : 

Dam  and  sluice  walls,  $12,600 

Inlet  or  guard  lock,  5,500 

Outlet  locks,  (of  wood,)  8,900 

Total,  $27,000' 


E.  F.  GAY,  Engineer . 


MR.  KNEASS’  REPORT.  • 

To  John  Sergeant,  Esquire,  of  Philadelphia,  Joseph  Burke,  Esquire, 
of  Easton,  and  Walter  S.  Franklin,  Esquire,  of  Harrisburg, 
Pennsylvania,  Commissioners  appointed  by  his  Excellency  the 
Governor,  for  certain  purposes  detailed  in  the  law  approved  the 
10th  of  April,  1832,  and  in  a  supplemental  resolution  passed  by  the 
Legislature  of  the  Commonwealth,  8th  February,  1833. 

Gentlemen  : — In  pursuance  of  the  commission  above  named,  to 
employ  a  competent  and  disinterested  engineer  to  ascertain  the  most 
practical  and  economical  manner  of  supplying  the  Delaware  division 
ot  the  Pennsylvania  canal  with  water,  at  or  near  Wells’  Falls  on  the 
river  Delaware,  and  from  that  place  to  the  next  lock  below,  and  to 
furnish  such  plans,  specifications  and  estimates  as  may  be  deemed 


11 


necessary  for  that  purpose ;  and  of  the  supplemental  resolution,  au 
thorizing  said  Commissioners,  by  their  engineer,  to  ascertain  how  the 
obstructions  in  the  river  Delaware  may  be  obviated,  having  a  due  re¬ 
gard  to  the  safe  and  convenient  navigation  of  the  river,  and  the  use 
of  the  waters  thereof,  for  actual  or  contemplated  improvements,  with¬ 
out  injury  to  the  said  navigation ;  and  of  a  note  of  instructions  from 
John  Sergeant,  Esquire,  authorizing  the  engineer  to  extend  his  exami¬ 
nations  above  Easton,  should  he  deem  it  necessary  to  enable  him  the 
better  to  report  in  detail  to  said  Commissioners  upon  the  points  which 
he  is  enquiring : — The  undersigned,  having  a  due  sense  of  the  duties 
which  the  law  and  the  resolution  have  required,  and  which  are  given 
him  in  charge  bv  the  Commissioners,  has  the  honor  of  laying  before 
you  the  result  of  his  researches  and  observations  on  these  interesting 
subjects. 

General  considerations  connected  with  the  subject,  as  well  as  infor¬ 
mation  obtained  from  competent  authority  in  the  neighborhood,  sus¬ 
tained  by  the  opinion  of  one  of  your  body,  determined  the  proper 
point  for  the  commencement  of  the  inquiry  to  be  at  the  junction  of  the 
Lehigh  and  the  Delaware.  Easton  was  therefore  chosen  as  the  point 
of  commencement  for  the  investigations. 

From  Easton  to  Bull’s  Island,  a  distance  of  about  thirty  miles, 
there  is  no  serious  impediment  to  the  navigation  of  the  river.  Its 
natural  course  is  obstructed  by  shoals  and  rocks,  still  preserving  a 
channel  which  the  experienced  waterman  readily  finds,  and  in  the 
spring  of  the  year,  when  high  waters  generally  prevail,  the  difficulties 
are  entirely  overcome,  and  a  navigation  is  presented  free  from  danger. 

A  prominent  feature  in  this  portion  of  the  river,  is  Warford  or 
Tumble  Falls.  The  river,  at  this  point,  has  a  mean  width  of  nearly 
one  thousand  feet,  and  falls  at  the  rate  of  9.36  feet  per  mile,  passing 
over  rocky  bottom  ;  the  channel  is  nearly  straight  and  is  easily  navi¬ 
gated  ;  nor  is  the  ascending  navigation  as  difficult  here  as  frequently 
’  occurs  on  rivers  where  the  fall  is  less,  owing  to  the  counter  currents 
which  exist  along  the  Jersey  shore,  occasioned  by  the  peculiar  course 
of  the  river  above  the  head  of  the  Falls. 

This  point  is  recommended  strongly  as  the  site  for  a  feeder  for  the 
Delaware  division  of  the  Pennsylvania  canal,  which  may.be  effected 
without  injury  to  the  navigation  of  the  river,  by  extending  a  dam  from 
the  main  land  to  the  foot  of  Cut-bush  Island,  and  connecting  the  other 
Islands,  which  continue  to  the  head  of  the  falls,  by  similar  works. 

Between  the  site  on  the  Pennsylvania  side  of  the  river,  where  1  have 
recommended  the  location  of  a  feeder  for  the  Delaware  division  of  the 
Pennsylvania  canal,  and  a  point  on  the  same  shore  nearly  opposite  the 
head  of  Bull’s  Island,  it  has  been  suggested  that  an  out-let  lock  should 
be  made,  by  which  the  trade  of  the  Pennsylvania  canal  might  be 
drawn  off  towards  the  city  of  New  York,  via.  the  feeder  and  the  Del¬ 
aware  &  Raritan  canal.  In  reference  to  the  practicability  of  such  a 
purpose,  I  have  examined  the  circumstances,  and  find  the  depth  of 
water,  at  the  lowest  stage  of  the  river,  highly  favorable,  with  other 
facilities  near  the  spot,  to  such  a  scheme,  and  can  be  effected  with¬ 
out  injury  to  the  navigation  of  the  river. 


u 


The  next  point  of  consideration,  is  at  Bull's  Island ,  where  the  State 
of  New  Jersey  has  authorized  important  works  for  the  benefit  of  the 
Delaware  &  Raritan  canal  company,  of  which,  a  particular  notice 
should  be  taken  in  this  report,  as  intimately  touching  the  spirit  and 
letter  of  instructions  under  which  the  undersigned  is  enquiring,  to  wit: 
“  to  have  a  due  regard  to  the  safe  and  convenient  navigation  of  the 
river.”  At  this  point,  water  is  to  be  abstracted  from  the  river,  to  sup¬ 
ply  the  trade  of  the  above  canal,  by  a  feeder  twenty-two  and  a  half 
miles  in  length,  the  water  line  of  which  is  sixty  leet,  bottom  width 
thirty-six  feet,  depth  six  fee t.  and  a  descent  of  two  inches  per  mile, 
with  one  lock  of  ten  feet  lift.  The  mean  velocity  of  such  a  feeder  is 
10.5  inches  per  second,  which,  multiplied  by  the  area,  gives  252  feet 
per  second.  This  feeder  joins  the  summit  level  of  the  main  canal 
near  the  city  of  Trenton. 

The  main  canal,  from  the  point  of  entering  the  Delaware  river  at 
Bordenton,  to  where  it  enters  the  Raritan  river,  near  New  Brunswick, 
is  about  forty -four  miles  in  length,  with  a  water  line  of  seventy-five  feet 
in  width  and  seven  feet  in  depth,  bottom  width  forty-seven  feet,  and  is 
said  to  be  so  constructed  as  to  allow  of  increasing  the  water  line  to 
eighty  feet,  and  the  depth  to  eight  feet.  It  descends  from  the  summit 
level  to  the  Delaware  at  Bordenton,  by  seven  locks  of  eight  feet  lift  each, 
and  into  the  Raritan,  near  New  Brunswick,  by  a  like  number.  The 
locks  are  twenty-four  feet  in  width,  and  one  hundred  feet  in  length  in 
the  chamber. 

The  greater  quantity  of  water  necessary  to  sustain  the  maximum 
trade  of  this  canal  and  feeder,  must  be  taken  from  the  Delaware 
river  at  the  head  of  Bull’s  island ;  what  effect  the  abstrction  of  such 
a  quantity  of  water  would  have  on  the  navigation  of  the  river,  it  is 
impossible  to  ascertain  with  accuracy,  owing  to  the  uncertainty  of  the 
data  connected  with  such  an  inquiry ;  for  it  is  a  fact  well  established, 
that  in  no  instance  has  practice  ever  confirmed  the  theoretical  princi¬ 
ples  given  by  those  who  have  considered  the  subject  of  supplying 
canals  with  water,  when  evaporation,  filtration,  and  leakage,  are  items 
in  the  calculation.  Therefore,  as  these  and  other  circumstances  are 
unknown,  the  undersigned  is  constrained  to  decline  declaring  what 
would  be  thp  actual  result,  where  such  vital  interests  are  concerned. 
He  has,  however,  involved  all  the  data  which  were  within  his  reach, 
and  tested  them  with  formula  applicable  in  such  cases,  and  the  results 
have  been  that  the  river  was  adequate  to  the  supply,  without  injury 
to  the  navigation  of  the  river;  but  the  undersigned  has  no  confidence 
in  results  derived  from  the  involvement  of  uncertain  data ;  he  there¬ 
fore  refers  the  decision  of  the  important  question  to  practice,  the 
sovereign  arbiter  on  this  occasion. 

From  Bull’s  island  no  obstructions  are  met  with,  in  a  distance  of 
seven  miles. 

That  portion  of  the  river  near  New  Hope,  called  Wells'  Falls ,  is 
perhaps  the  most  difficult  and  dangerous  part  of  the  navigation  ;  the 
descent  in  one  mile  is  nearly  thirteen  feet — the  water  rushes  im¬ 
petuously  over  and  among  rocks  and  shoals,  and  the  channel  assumes 


IS 


i  so  irregular  and  tortuous  a  course  that  there  is  much  uncertainty  in 

the  navigation,  and  occasional  losses  of  property,  even  by  skilful  na¬ 
vigators.  This  place  has  frequently  been  the  subject  of  considera¬ 
tion,  with  a  view  of  obviating  the  difficulties  so  justly  complained  of; 

1  the  plan  proposed  has  been,  in  every  instance,  to  form  a  new  chan¬ 

nel,  by  removing  the  rocks,  but  has  never  been  completed;  a  perse¬ 
verance  in  the  same  scheme  is  recommended  as  cheaper  and  more 
effective  than  any  other  in  obviating  the  difficulties,  as  far  as  the 
rafting  trade  is  interested.  Also,  that  the  wing  dams  and  machinery 
be  removed  which  have  been  erected  by  tbe  state  of  Pennsylvania,  for 
the  purpose  of  supplying  the  Delaware  division  of  her  canals  with 
water.  To  facilitate  the  ascending  and  descending  boat  trade  of  the 
river,  at  this  point,  I  recommend  that  out-let  locks  be  constructed  at 
the  head  and  at  the  foot  of  the  falls,  and  from  the  Pennsylvania  canal. 

The  next  serious  obstruction  occurs  at  ScuddeFs  Falls ;  the  works 
erected  at  this  place,  by  the  'authority  of  the  State  of  New  Jersey, 
v  have  encroached  upon  the  main  channel  to  such  an  extent  as  serious¬ 

ly  to  interrupt  the  navigation  of  the  river.  By  the  erection  of  a  pro¬ 
tection  wall  to  the  Trenton  water  works,  more  than  one  half  of  the 
river  channel  has  been  closed,  and  the  remaining  portion  has  been 
so  far  filled  with  deposit  from  the  river,  occasioned  by  counter  cur¬ 
rents  produced  by  the  erection  of  said  wall,  as  to  prevent,  in  the 
ordinary  state  of  the  stream,  the  free  passage  of  the  river  craft;  with 
a  full  load,  boats  are  necessarily  obliged  to  be  lightened,  on  arriving 
at  this  point,  by  transferring  a  part  of  their  cargo  to  other  vessels,  at 
the  expense  of  much  time  and  labor,  to  enable  them  to  proceed  on 
?  their  voyage. 

The  removal  of  all  the  works  which  have  been  erected  by  the 
Trenton  water  company,  in  this  vicinity,  is  the  only  method  of  re¬ 
gaining  the  use  of  the  old  channel,  and  thus  restoring  to  Pennsylva¬ 
nia  the  original  and  unalienated  right  to  a  free  and  undiminished 
\  navigation  of  the  river ;  but  the  undersigned  deemed  it  within  his 

province  to  seek  for  an  alternative  to  so  extensive  a  sacrifice,  and 
his  examinations  have  led  to  the  belief,  that  a  new  and  efficient  chan¬ 
nel  may  be  opened,  by  darning  the  inferior  outlet,  between  Duer’s 
and  Slack’s  islands,  to  four  feet  in  height,  and  clearing  a  watercourse 
through  the  shoals  which  extend  from  Duer’s  to  the  main  channel, 
at  the  foot  of  Slack’s  island.  As  the  necessity  of  this  expedient  has 
resulted  from  works  authorised  by  the  State  of  New  Jersey,  and  the 
advantages  of  which  accrue  to  her  alone,  she  would  appear  bound  to 
obviate  the  difficulties ;  and  as  they  are  of  a  very  serious  character, 
should  be  required  to  accomplish  it  without  delay.  Until  this  new 
channel  be  lormed,  it  is  recommended  that  the  deposit  be  removed 
from  the  remaining  portion  of  the  old  channel,  as  a  means  of  relieving, 
in  some  degree,  the  suffering  trade  of  the  river. 

From  ScuddeFs  Falls  to  tide  water  the  river  navigation  has  no 
obstructions ;  the  wing  dams  which  have  been  erected  here  from  either 
side  of  the  river  have  tended  much  to  the  improvement  of  the  chan¬ 
nel. 


* 


14 


No  report  upon  the  navigable  improvement  of  the  Delaware  would 
attain  its  end  without  some  remarks  insisting  upon  the  propriety,  nay 
necessity,  of  keeping  that  noble  stream  .always  open  and  unimpaired 
for  the  transmission  of  produce,  both  up  and  down,  throughout  its 
original  course.  Although  the  undersigned  will  not  attempt  to  con* 
troverf  the  opinion,  somewhat  enthusiastically  expressed  by  a  great 
projector,  that  rivers  were  intended  to  feed  canals,  yet  it  may  be 
doubted  whether  the  dictum  be  altogether  true,  more  especially  when 
referring  to  such  extensive  water  courses  as  the  Delaware.  The 
wisdom  which  would  drain  its  present  bed  for  the  purpose  of  supply¬ 
ing  a  lock  navigation,  however  extended  or  perfect,  might  well  be 
questioned  by  an  indifferent  observer,  and  would  certainly  engender 
discontent  among  a  numerous  portion  of  our  fellow-citizens  who  rely 
upon  it  as  the  most  direct  and  facile  highway,  to  a  market  for  their 
productions.  A  main  staple  of  the  upper  country,  watered  by  this 
stream  and  its  tributaries,  is  of  a  description  that  will  bear  no  other 
means  of  transportation  to  its  customary  market,  than  the  open  natur-  l 

al  course  heretofore  always  in  use  for  that  purpose,  and  on  no  consid¬ 
eration  should  the  descending  navigation  be  at  all  obstructed ;  should 
the  time  ever  arrive  when  it  would  be  necessary  to  resort  to  canal 
navigation  for  the  transport  of  lumber  from  the  interior,  it  is  presumed 
that  the  transport  of  it  to  New  York,  through  the  Delaware  and  Hud¬ 
son  canal,  would  be  so  much  more  advantageous,  than  by  the  Dela¬ 
ware  division  of  the  Pennsylvania  canal,  as  to  deprive  the  State  of 
Pennsylvania  of  almost  the  whole  of  that  natural  staple  of  her  un¬ 
cleared  forests. 

In  estimating  the  importance  of  preserving  the  navigation  of  this  t 

stream  unimpaired,  it  should  be  kept  constantly  in  view  that  for 
several  weeks  in  the  spring  it  is  available  earlier  than  the  canal,  and 
continues  open  in  the  fall  a  still  longer  period  :  and  these  considerations 
alone  should  induce  a  reasonable  degree  of  caution  in  advancing  any  , 

project  having  a  tendency  to  deteriorate  its  native  powers  of  transporta-  / 

tion. 

In  connexion  with  the  foregoing  views  relative  to  the  navigation  of 
the  Delaware,  the  subject  of  supplying  the  Delaware  division  of  the 
Pennsylvania  canal  with  a  sufficient  quantity  of  water  to  sustain  its 
maximum  trade,  has  been  carefully  examined,  and  a  suitable  conside¬ 
ration  given  to  its  importance. 

The  scheme  of  reducing  the  level  of  that  portion  which  extends 
from  New  Hope  to  the  first  lock  below  has  the  following  reasons  op¬ 
posing  such  a  measure.  First,  the  time  necessary  to  effect  such  a 
purpose  is  too  long.  Second,  the  delays  to  the  trade  on  the  canal 
would  be  too  serious  an  inconvenience  to  the  citizens,  and  loss  of 
revenue  to  the  State ;  and  third,  the  canal  would  be  incomplete,  as 
far  as  a  supply  of  water  is  concerned,  as  the  deficiency  which  exists 
between  New  Hope  and  Black’s  eddy  would  not  be  provided  for. 

The  required  dimensions  of  the  Delaware  division  of  the  Penn¬ 
sylvania  canal  are,  water  line  forty  feet,  depth  five  feet,  bottom  width 
twenty-five  feet ;  with  lock  chambers  eleven  feet  by  ninety-five  feet 


* 


15 


From  Easton  to  New  Hope,  the  distance  now  supplied  by  the  Le- 
high,  is  thirty-five  miles,  the  average  lift  of  the  locks  is  7.4  feet, 
nearly,  and  the  maximum  trade  is  assumed  at  one  hundred  and  nine¬ 
ty-two  boats  in  twenty-four  hours,  each  boat  requiring  three-fourths  of 
a  lock  full. 

The  estimate  of  the  quantity  of  water  requisite  for  lockage  is  based 
upon  the  following  data.  Thepry  determines  that  one  lock  full  of 
water  will  carry  a  boat  from  the  head  of  the  canal  to  its  termination ; 
and  that  the  return  boat,  if  immediately  following,  will  require  one 
lock  full  at  each  lock  :  there  being  eighteen  locks  in  the  distance  from 
Easton  to  New  Hope,  one  boat  would  expend  eighteen  locks  full  to 
arrive  at  the  head  of  the  canal ;  this  amount,  added  to  the  expendi¬ 
ture  of  water  for  the  descending  trade,  is  equal  to  nineteen  locks  full 
of  water;  a  mean  of  which  is  9.5  locks  full  of  water  for  each  boat 
passing  the  eighteen  locks  up  and  down  ;  this  mean  allowance  sup¬ 
poses  that  the  same  number  of  boats  should  simultaneously  arrive  at 
the  head  and  foot  of  each  level.  To  compensate  however  for  a  devia¬ 
tion  from  this  mode  of  arrivals,  and  for  the  variation  in  the  lift  of  the 
locks,  an  addition  of  one  fourth  of  a  lock  full  is  deemed  sufficient, 
giving  three-fourths  of  a  lock  full  of  water  for  each  boat  as  the  whole 
quantity  expended  by  lockage. 

The  ti me  expended  in  locking,  upon  the  supposition  that  arrivals 
occur  simultaneously  at  the  head  and  foot  of  the  lock,  is  estimated  at 
eight  boats  per  hour — this  multiplied  by  the  mean  expense  of  water 
(three-fourths  of  a  lock  full)  gives  six  locks  full  per  hour  as  the 
maximum  navigation.  The  prism  of  the  lift  of  the  locks  between 
Easton  and  New  Hope  contains  seven  thousand  eight  hundred  and  fifty 
cubic  feet,  three-fourths  of  which,  or  five  thousand  eight  hundred  and 
eighty-eight  cubic  feet,  by  the  estimate  above  would  be  required  for 
each  boat,  consequently  the  demand  on  the  Lehigh  would  be  192x 
5,888  =  1,130,496  cubic  feet  in  twenty-four  hours. 

Evaporation  is  estimated  at  one  cubic  foot  per  minute  on  each 
one  hundred  thousand  square  feet. 

Filtration  is  an  item  that  depends  on  so  many  contingencies  that 
it  is  difficult  to  arrive  at  its  precise  quantity.  The  amount  of  loss 
from  this  source  on  the  New  York  canal,  which  has  forty  feet  water 
line,  and  four  feet  depth,  was  rather  exceeding  one  hundred  cubic  feet 
per  mile,  per  minute,  for  a  few  first  years  after  the  introduction  of 
the  water  ;  the  banks  however  have  become  compact,  and  the  bottom 
tighter,  by  puddling,  consequently  filtration  considerably  lessened. 
All  new  canals  are  subject  to  more  or  less  loss  by  filtration,  depend¬ 
ing  on  the  quality  of  the  soil  through  which  they  pass  and  of  which 
the  banks  are  constructed ;  in  process  of  time  however  these  become 
more  solid,  and  leakage  on  this  account  decreases.  In  the  instance 
of  the  Delaware  division  of  the  Pennsylvania  canal,  which  unfortu¬ 
nately  passes  through  soil  of  so  loose  and  porous  a  quality  as  to  re¬ 
quire  a  vei*y  {ong  time  to  attain  solidity,  although  the  banks  are  be¬ 
coming  more  solid  from  age  and  repairs,  which  are  constantly  going 
on,  still  we  find  the  loss  on  this  canal  to  amount  to  eight,  hundred  and 


16 


fifty-six  cubic  feet  per  mile,  per  minute,  an  amount  much  greater  than 
has  ever  come  within  my  observation.  We  have  therefore  for  the 
item  of  filtration  forty-three  millions  one  hundred  ai  d  forty-two  thou¬ 
sand  cubic  feet  as  the  loss  in  twenty-four  hours. 

While  upon  this  subject  I  beg  leave  to  remark,  that  all  observations  r 
and  experiments  which  have  been  made  upon  evaporation  and  filtra¬ 
tion  on  canals,  establishing  principles  for  obtaining  results  to  aid  the 
engineer  in  his  practical  operations,  have  not  enabled  him  to  arrive  at 
exactitude ;  the  series  of  observations  made  under  one  set  of  circum¬ 
stances  cannot  apply  but  where  similar  conditions  exist,  and  that  per¬ 
haps  can  never  occur.  Should  the  results  be  adopted  which  have 
been  obtained  from  practice,  with  an  allowance  for  the  differences 
that  exist,  there  never  can  be  any  other  than  an  approximation  to 
probability ;  for  in  no  instance  perhaps  has  practice  ever  but  very  re¬ 
motely  confirmed  the  theoretical  principles  which  have  been  estab¬ 
lished  by  all  authors  upon  Hydraulics,  for  ascertaining  the  supply  of 
water  for  canals,  when  evaporation  and  filtration  are  items  of  consid¬ 
eration. 

Leakage  at  locks  is  also  an  item  that  should  enter  into  the  calcula¬ 
tion,  and  in  this  instance  would  be  amply  provided  for  at  five  hundred 
and  fifty  cubic  feet  per  minute.  The  estimated  amount  of  water  re¬ 
quired  by  the  canal  from  Easton  to  New  Hope  in  twenty-four  hours 
will  be  as  follows  : 

Lockage,  1,130,496 

Evaporation,  106,560 

Leakage  at  Locks,  792,000 

Filtration,  43,142,400 


45,171,456  or  31,369  cubic  feet  per  minute. 

The  river  Lehigh  at  its  lowest  stage  of  water  at  Easton  passes  into 
the  canal  through  six  valve  gates  two  feet  square,  each,  with  a  head 
of  three  feet  six  inches,  and  three  culverts  four  feet  square,  each,  eight  / 

feet  in  length,  with  a  head  of  two  feet  six  inches;  from  this  data  the 
quantity  afforded  in  twenty-four  hours  is  forty-four  million  nine  hun¬ 
dred  and  ninety-two  thousand  five  hundred  and  twelve,  or  thirty 
thousand  six  hundred  and  fifteen  cubic  feet  per  minute ;  the  deficiency 
therefore  is  seven  hundred  and  fifty-four  cubic  feet  per  minute,  or  one 
million  eighty-five  thousand  seven  hundred  and  sixty  cubic  feet  in 
twenty-four  hours.  This  amount  of  deficit  is  corroborated  by  the 
fact  of  there  being  but  four  feet  water  at  New  Hope,  when  the  whole 
of  the  water  of  the  Lehigh  at  its  lowest  stage  passes  into  the  canal, 
which  is  at  the  time  the  business  of  the  canal  is  greatest.  There  is  a 
small  stream  taken  in  as  a  feeder  ten  miles  below  Easton,  but  the 
quantity  of  water  which  it  affords  when  a  supply  is  most  needed,  is 
so  small  as  not  to  be  worthy  of  estimating. 

It  being  ascertained  both  by  theory  and  experience,  that  the  Le¬ 
high  is  insufficient  to  supply  not  only  the  maximum  trade  assumed 
for  the  canal,  but  even  an  approximation  to  it,  the  point  at  which  a  re¬ 
supply  is  required  must  be  considered. 


1 


17 


From  Easton  to  the  foot  oflock  No  13,  the  distance  is  twenty-se¬ 
ven  miles,  the  average  lift  of  locks  is  5.58  feet,  nearly;  the  prism 
therefore  contains  five  thousand  seven  hundred  and  seventy  cubic  feet; 
the  amount  due  to  lockage  will  be 

4,328  x  192  =  830,976  cubic  feet  in  24  hours 
Evaporation,  83,520 

Filtration,  33,281,280 

Leakage  at  locks,  792,000 

-  per  minute.  > 

34,987,776  or  24,297  cubic  feet,$ 
Upon  a  comparison  with  the  amount  of  water  to  be  derived  from 
the  river  Lehigh  with  the  quantity  required  for  the  trade  upon  the  ca¬ 
nal  from  the  Lehigh  at  Easton  to  Black’s  eddy  at  the  foot  of  lock  No. 
13,  I  perceive  a  surplus  of  six  thousand  three  hundred  and  eighteen 
feet  per  minute,  which  would  extend  the  trade  of  the  canal  a  short 
distance  further,  but  as  Tumble  falls  is  the  only  scite  in  the  vicinity 
where  a  feeder  can  be  economically  and  permanently  constructed,  it 
strongly  recommends  itself  for  that  purpose  ;  it  was  therefore  deemed 
indispensable  to  ascertain  the  quantity  of  water  that  the  canal  will  re¬ 
quire  from  this  point  to  Bristol,  and  the  dimensions  of  the  dam,  and 
the  minimum  size  of  the  feeder  that  will  convey  the  amount  of  water 
supplied  at  the  lowest  condition  of  the  waters  of  the  river  Delaware. 

The  circumstances  of  that  portion  of  the  canal  from  Black’s  eddy  to 
New  Hope  are  nearly  the  same  as  they  are  from  Black’s  eddy  to 
Easton  ;  the  estimates  are  consequently  based  upon  the  same  data, 
while  on  the  remaining  portion  of  the  line  the  item  of  filtration  is  less, 
because  the  soil  through  which  it  passes  secures  the  banks  and  bottom 
a  more  speedy  solidity. 

From  the  foot  of  lock  No.  1 3  to  Bristol  is  thirty-three  miles,  with 
fifteen  locks,  the  average  lift  of  which  is  7.12  feet,  nearly,  giving  for 
cubic  contents  of  the  prism  seven  thousand  five  hundred  and  sixty 
cubic  feet.  The  demand,  therefore,  for  lockage,  estimated  as  in  pre 
vious  calculations,  will  be 

5670  X  192,  LC88.640 

Filtration,  856  cubic  feet  per  mile  per  minute  to  New 

Hope,  a  distance  of  eight  miles,  9.861.120 

Filtration  on  the  remaining  distance,  (twenty-five  miles,) 

at  142  feet  per  mile  per  minute,  5.1 12.000 

Evaporation ,  100.800 

Leakage  at  locks,  792.000 


16.954.560 

Or  eleven  thousand  seven  hundred  and  seventy-four  cubic  feet  per 
minute.  The  items  of  lockage  and  leakage  are  already  partially  es¬ 
timated  as  supplied  from  the  Lehigh  :  these,  therefore,  with  the  sur¬ 
plusage  of  six  thousand  three  hundred  and  eighteen  cubic  feet,  must 
be  deducted,  which  will  leave  three  thousand  nine  hundred  and  eighty- 
six  cubic  feet  per  minute  to  be  taken  in  at  Black’s  Eddy.  And,  to 
make  ample  allowance  for  contingencies,  provision  should  be  made  in 

2 


\ 


18 


the  construction  of  the  feeder  for  one  thousand  cubic  feet  more,  giving 
therefore  such  dimensions  as  will  admit  four  thousand  nine  hundred 
and  eighty-six  cubic  feet  per  minute  being  introduced. 

A  feeder  may  be  constructed  near  Black’s  Eddy,  which  shall  have 
at  all  times  certainly  a  head  of  4.25  feet,  (above  the  guard  gate,) 
measuring  from  the  centre  of  the  valve  opening  to  the  water  line  of 
the  dam.  To  effect  which,  a  dam  must  be  built  from  the  main  shore, 
ten  feet  in  height,  to  the  foot  of  Cutbush  Island  ;  and  the  openings 
between  Cutbush  and  Brag  and  Brag  and  Gondola  Islands,  be  darned 
to  the  leyel  of  the  main  dam  ;  also  that  a  wing  dam  be  extended  from 
the  head  of  Gondola  Island  to  the  head  of  the  falls,  two  feet  in  height 
at  the  island,  and  terminating  on  a  level  with  low  water  mark  at  the 
head  of  Tumble  Falls.  Upon  this  plan  we  may  safely  calculate  that 
the  water  in  the  dam  will  never  be  less  than  six  inches  above  the 
water  line  of  the  canal  at  the  foot  of  lock  No.  1 3. 

The  minimum  size  of  a  feeder  is  ascertained  to  be  23.5  feet  water 
line,  sixteen  feet  bottom,  five  feet  depth,  and  one  and  three-fourth  miles 
in  length,  with  three  and  a  half  inches  fail  per  mile,  w'hich  will  de¬ 
liver  into  the  canal,  in  twenty-four  hours,  the  quantity  of  water  re¬ 
quired  through  lour  valve  openings,  twenty-four  inches  square  each. 

In  conclusion,  I  beg  leave  to  remark  that  no  fear  need  be  appre¬ 
hended  of  the  navigation  of  the  river  being  impaired  by  this  improve¬ 
ment  ;  for  the  canal  requires  a  less  quantity  of  water  than  now  passes 
between  the  islands  just  mentioned  and  the  Pennsylvania  shore.  That 
part  of  the  river  being  darn’d  by  this  improvement,  the  surplus  water 
would  pass  down  the  main  channel  on  the  east  side  of  the  river,  by 
which  its  condition  for  navigable  purposes  would  be  improved.  That 
under  existing  circumstances,  it  is  impossible  to  keep  in  the  canal, 
either  at  New  Hope  or  at  Bristol,  a  greater  depth  than  four  feet ;  and 
if  a  break  occur  within  ten  miles  of  Easton,  where  it  has  most  fre¬ 
quently  occurred,  the  water  is  discharged  from  the  canal  below7  the 
break,  so  as  to  stop  the  navigation  in  six  hours.  It  requires  from  four 
to  six  daj-s  to  repair  the  breach,  and,  w'hen  repaired,  several  days  to 
fill  the  canal  as  far  as  New  Hope.  The  feeder  now  proposed  would 
obviate  these  important  difficulties,  as  it  would  be  taken  in  at  a  point 
to  which  a  supply  of  five  feet  of  water  could  be  obtained  from  Easton 
in  twenty-four  hours,  leaving  the  residue  of  the  loss  to  be  made  up  in 
the  same  time  by  this  feeder,  which  would  be  competent  to  such  supply. 

An  estimate  of  the  cost  of  the  proposed  feeder  at  Black’s  eddy ;  the 
map  of  the  river  from  Easton  to  tide  water ;  and  the  maps  of  head  of 
the  Delaware  and  Raritan  canal  feeder ;  the  proposed  feeder  for  the 
Pennsylvania  canal;  the  maps  of  Well’s  falls  and  Scudder’s  falls,  in 
detail  are  herewith  presented. 

In  the  fulfilment  of  the  duties  which  you  have  been  pleased  to  com¬ 
mit  to  his  charge,  the  undersigned  has  endeavored  to  avail  himself  of 
every  information  within  his  reach,  and  of  all  the  data  that  appertain 
to  an  enquiry  of  so  much  importance.  The  difficulties  which  appear 
upon  that  portion  of  the  Delaware  division  of  the  Pennsylvania  canal 
to  which  your  instructions  have  drawn  the  attention  of  the  under- 


19 


signed,  could  not  have  been  foreseen  by  those  under  whose  charge  it 
was  constructed,  they  being  among  those  errors  which  are  always, 
and  unavoidably  associated  with  the  primary  efforts  of  magnificent 
enterprises,  and  which  ever  have  in  their  practical  operations,  devel- 
opements  of  difficulties,  the  correction  of  which  always  wait  upon 
their  appearance ;  therefore,  any  criticisms  are  invidious,  supererog¬ 
atory  and  unavailing.  But- as  the  duties  of  the  undersigned  have  re¬ 
ference  only  to  the  means  by  which  these  difficulties  can  be  obviated ; 
he  has  accordingly  directed  his  enquiries  to  the  consideration  of  such 
plans  as  will  secure  the  point  of  his  instructions.  In  what  he  has  sug¬ 
gested,  he  has  had  an  eye  to  practicability  as  well  as  economy ;  he 
has  been  under  the  constant  conviction  of  a  general  tendency  to  error 
in  all  human  operations,  and  has  accordingly  felt  more  than  ordinary 
solicitude  in  prosecuting  his  enquiries  on  this  important  subject,  and 
enjoined  on  himself  a  caution  and  circumspection  commensurate  with 
the  character  of  his  appointment,  he  assures  the  authorities  he  has 
the  honor  of  addressing,  that  although  fully  aware  of  high  professional 
responsibility  devolved  upon  him,  and  of  the  falibility  of  all  human 
calculations  he  feels  not  the  more  reluctance,  or  less  confidence  in 
submitting  the  result  of  his  labors. 

Respectfully  submitted, 

SAM’L  H.  KNEASS, 

Civil  Engineer. 


Estimated  cost  of  the  Feeder  at  Black's  Eddy. 

For  the  Delaware  Division  of  the  Pennsylvania  canal — Dam  at 
Cutbush  island. 

40o  Feet  long,  12  feet  high,  at  9  dollars  per  foot, 


500  Perches  of  masonry 
1800  Cubic  yards  of  gravel 

38,1-28  “  “  excavation 

38,128  “  “  embankment 

18,992  “  “  excavation 

2,000  Perches  slope  wall 
Aqueduct  at  Tohicon, 

Guard  gate  complete, 


5  “  perch, 

30  cents  per  yard, 
12  “  “ 

1 8  “  “ 

25  “  “ 

1  dollar  per  perch, 


$3, C00 

2.500 
540 

4,575  36 
6,863  04 
4,748 
2,000 
2,000 

1.500 


28,326  40 

Add  15  per  cent,  for  contingencies  and  superintendence,  4,249  00 


Whole  expense  of  feeder, 
Philadelphia,  2d  April,  1834. 


832,575  40 
SAM’L  H.  KNEASS, 

Civil  Engineer. 


1 


20 


MR.  DOUGLASS’  REPORT. 

Princeton ,  November  18 th^  1834. 

To  Garret  D.  Wall,  Peter  J.  Stryker,  and  John  M.  Sheb* 

rerd,  Esquires,  Commissioners  of  the  State  of  New  Jersey,  &c. 

Gentlemen  : — In  compliance  with  your  instructions,  I  have  made 
an  examination  ol  the  Delaware  river,  with  a  view  of  ascertaining  the 
best  place  to  form  a  connection  between  the  Pennsylvania  canal  and 
the  Delaware  and  Raritan  canal  feeder — also  the  best  mode  of  obtain¬ 
ing  a  supply  of  water  for  the  use  of  the  Pennsylvania  canal,  with  the 
least  injury  to  the  navigation.  ^ 

Black’s  Eddy  appears  to  combine  more  advantages,  and  offers  more 
facilities  for  forming  such  a  connection,  than  any  other  place.  The 
eddy  is  caused  by  a  projection  of  the  main  land  from  the  Pennsylvania 
shore,  contracting  the  river  into  quite  a  narrow  space.  The  sudden 
widening  out  of  the  river  below  this  point,  creates  a  counter  current, 
so  that  boats  and  rafts  incline  towards  the  Pennsylvania  shore,  and 
find  no  difficulty  in  landing  at  any  stage  of  the  river.  Immediately 
below  the  eddy,  the  river  takes  a  sudden  turn  to  the  east,  forcing  the 
current  directly  in  to  the  head  of  Bull’s  Island,  at  the  head  of  the 
feeder,  so  that  boats  or  rafts,  starting  from  the  eddy,  drift  directly  to 
the  entrance  to  the  feeder.  The  entrance  to  the  feeder  is  about  one 
mile  below  the  eddy.  The  water  from  the  eddy  is  of  sufficient  depth 
to  float  a  vessel  of  six  feet  draft.  If  a  connection  is  made  at  this  place, 
it  will  be  necessary  to  construct  two  locks  of  eight  feet  lifteach,  to  get 
into  the  river  from  the  Pennsylvania  canal ;  also  a  tow-path  along  the 
New  Jersey  shore,  from  opposite  the  eddy  to  the  entrance  to  the  feed¬ 
er,  which  is  all  that  will  be  necessary  to  form  a  safe  and  secure  con¬ 
nection. 

Another  place  which  offers  some  facilities  for  a  connection,  is  New 
Hope.  In  order  to  effect  this,  it  will  be  necessary  to  connect  the 
feeder  with  the  river,  by  means  of  a  short  canal  and  lock  of  ten  feet 
lift,  and  the  Pennsylvania  canal  by  a  guard  lock  or  lift  lock.  If  by 
a  guard  lock,  to  insure  a  safe  passage  for  the  boats  across  the  river,  it 
will  be  necessary  for  them  to  run  up  the  Pennsylvania  shore  some 
distance,  before  it  will  be  safe  for  them  to  venture  out  into  the  current 
of  the  river,  for  fear  of  being  drawn  over  the  dam.  The  water  along 
the  shore  for  a  distance  of  about  one  hundred  feet  from  it,  is  quite 
shoal ;  consequently,  it  will  be  necessary  to  excavate  a  channel  three 
feet  deep  below  low  water  mark,  so  as  to  admit  beats  of  the  same  draft 
as  the  Pennsylvania  canal ;  a  tow-path  along  the  river  bank  will  also 
be  required.  The  point  to  which  this  channel  should  be  excavated,  is 
about  twenty-four  chains  above  the  guard  lock  at  a  place  called  Poplar 
Reef.  From  this  point  to  the  place  proposed  to  connect  with  the 
feeder,  there  is  sufficient  depth  of  water  to  float  any  craft  which  can 
navigate  the  canals.  I  am  apprehensive,  if  this  plan  should  be  adopt¬ 
ed,  the  channel  would  be  liable  to  be  filled  with  a  deposit  from  the 
river,  and  subject  to  receive  damage  in  time  of  floods,  and  always  be 
a  source  of  perplexity  and  expense  in  keeping  it  in  repair.  Two  plans 
have  occurred  to  me,  in  which  this  difficulty  can  be  avoided.  The 


21 


first  is,  by  converting  the  present  guard  lock  into  a  lift  lock,  dispense 
with  one  of  the  combined  locks,  and  make  a  canal  from  the  foot  of  the 
combined  locks  along  the  river  bank  to  the  above  mentioned  place, 
and  lock  down  into  the  river  by  a  lock  of  seven  feet  lift. 

The  second  plan  is,  to  lock  into  the  river  from  the  level  above  the 
combined  locks,  by  two  locks  of  seven  feet  lift  each.  In  either  of  the 
above  plans,  I  would  propose  to  take  the  water  in  to  supply  the  canal, 
through  a  sluice  below  the  guard  lock. 

I  do  not  think  that  a  connection  can  be  made  with  the  Pennsylvania 
canal,  without  a  stipulation  to  that  effect.  Even  if  it  could  be  done, 
the  Delaware  &  Raritan  canal  company  would  hot  be  safe  in  being  at 
the  expense  of  making  an  out-let  from  their  feeder,  without  an  assu¬ 
rance  that  a  connection  would  be  kept  open  into  the  Pennsylvania 
canal. 

To  obtain  a  supply  of  water  for  the  use  of  the  Pennsylvania  canal, 
at  Wells’  Falls,  Mr.  Gay  proposes  to  extend  the  present  wing  dam 
upwards  about  two  hundred  feet,  and  construct  a  dam  entirely  across 
the  river,  two  feet  high  above  low  water  at  the  head  of  the  falls, 
leaving  a  sluice  sixty  feet  wide  and  three  hundred  feet  long,  for  the 
passage  of  the  descending  trade.  The  proposed  location  of  the  dam 
is  about  five  hundred  and  fifty  feet  below  the  head  of  the  falls  :  In  that 
distance,  there  is  a  descent  of  1.25  feet,  which  will  make  a  dam  3.25 
feet  high.  On  examination,  I  found  that  extreme  low  water  mark  at 
the  head  of  the  falls,  was  2.83  feet  below  the  top  water  line  in  the 
Pennsylvania  canal ;  consequently,  they  will  want  a  dam  of  that 
I  height,  above  low  water  at  Ihe  head  of  the  falls,  instead  of  two  feet,  as 
reported  by  Mr.  Gay,  which,  added  to  the  descent  to  the  location  of 
the  dam,  will  give  a  dam  four  feet  in  height.  At  all  events,  I  do  not 
think  that  they  can  get  a  sufficient  supply  of  water,  with  a  dam  of 
t  less  height  than  3.75. 

My  present  opinion  is  that  the  descending  navigation  will  be  less 
liable  to  be  injured  if  this  dam  should  be  constructed  about  two  hun¬ 
dred  feet  nearer  to  the  head  of  the  falls,  and  make  the  sluice  walls 
one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  above  and  extend  them  five  hundred  feet 
below  the  dam,  to  prevent  the  boats  and  rafts  descending  the  river 
from  running  onto  some  rocks  which  crowd  both  sides  of  the  channel, 
and  are  partially  covered  with  water  when  the  river  is  at  a  navigable 
height.  I  would  also  recommend  that  some  rocks  be  removed  and 
the  channel  straightened  below  the  dam. 

My  limited  time  would  not  allow  me  to  make  a  thorough  examina¬ 
tion  o(  Scudder’s  Falls ;  but  I  am  of  the  opinion  that  the  navigation 
of  the  river  never  can  be  restored  or  the  channel  kept  open,  so  long 
as  the  work  is  in  its  present  unfinished  state.  The  bank  forming  the 
head  of  the  Trenton  water  company’s  works  terminates  too  near  the 
head  of  the  falls  :  it  should  be  extended  upwards  at  least  three  hun¬ 
dred  feet,  and  raised  so  high  that  the  floods  cannot  pass  over  ft.  It 
would  be  best  to  make  a  pier  of  timber  crib  work,  filled  with  stone. 
The  bank  is  now  so  low  that  the  floods  sweep  over  it,  and  is  not  pro¬ 
tected  by  walls  sufficient  to  prevent  the  earth,  gravel  and  stones,  from 


I 


22 


being  carried  into  the  channel.  The  sudden  termination  of  this  bank 
gives  a  check  to  the  current,  and  gives  it  a  direction  diagonally  across 
the  channel.  This  might  be  counteracted  in  a  measure  by  construct¬ 
ing  a  wing  dam  from  the  Pennsylvania  shore  to  near  the  channel. 

Estimated  expenses  of  forming  a  connexion  at  Black’s  Eddy  : 


Two  lift  locks,  eight  feet  each, 

$16,000 

Excavating. foundation  and  pumping, 

3,500 

Pier,  slope  wall  and  wharfing  around  locks, 

2,000 

21,500 

Tow  path  along  the  Jersey  shore, 

1,500 

$23,000 

Estimate  of  the  proposed  works  at  New  Hope  and  Wells’  Falls. 


Locking  down  into  the  river  from  the  Pennsylvania  ca¬ 
nal,  including  the  canal  from  the  combined  locks  to 
Poplar  Reef,  $17,400 

Lock  and  canal  to  get  into  the  feeder  of  Delaware  and 

Raritan  canal,  19,780 

Dam  and  sluice  walls,  15,300 

Locks  at  Nieley’s,  8,900 


$61,380 

It  will  be  observed  that  the  difference  between  forming  a  connexion  „ 
at  Black’s  Eddy  and  New  Hope  is  fourteen  thousand  one  hundred*  and  1 
eighty  dollars  ;  and  the  difference  to  the  Delaware  and  Raritan  canal 
company  will  be  eighteen  thousand  two  hundred  and  eighty  dollars. 
Pennsylvania  gains  by  the  New  Hope  connexion  four  thousand  one 
hundred  dollars.  If  the  connexion  is  made  at  Black’s  Eddy,  the  Del-  1 
aware  and  Raritan  canal  company  will  receive  the  trade  on  eight 
miles  more  of  their  feeder  than  if  the  connexion  is  made  at  New 
Hope,  which  may  be  considered  a  low  estimate  at  five  thousand  dol¬ 
lars  per  annum.  i 

There  will  also  be  twenty  feet  more  lockage,  and  two  miles  more 
canal  navigation  by  New  Hope,  than  Black’s  Eddy. 

Respectfully  submitted,  by  your  obedient  servant, 

(Signed,)  E.  A.  DOUGLAS,  Engineer . 

If  there'  is  to  be  any  restriction  as  to  the  use  of  the  water,  (which 
1  doubt  the  propriety  of  doing  other  than  so  far  as  not  to  obstruct  the 
channel  of  the  river,)  I  think  it  would  be  well  to  stipulate  that  each 
JBtate  can  take  and  use  the  water  for  canal  navigation,  at  any  place 
above  or  between  tide  and  State  line. 


23 


COMMUNICATION  FROM  S.  D.  INGHAM,  Esq. 

It  is  the  interest  of  each  State  to  retain  the  transportation  as  much 
as  possible  on  her  own  canals,  but  those  who  have  products  to  sell  will 
seek  the  best  market,  when  this  happens  to  be  at  New  York,  produce 
at  Easton  will  either  pass  through  the  Morris  canal,  or  by  unloading, 
leave  the  Delaware  division  of  the  Pennsylvania  canal  at  Black’s  Ed* 
dy,  opposite  the  head  of  the  Delaware  and  Raritan  feeder  ;  or  descend 
to  Bristol  and  thence  by  way,  of  Bordentown  to  the  Delaware  and 
Raritan  canal. 

The  expense  of  taking  one  ton  of  coal  by  these  routes  from  Easton 
to  New  York  will  be  respectively  as  follows,  viz  : 

By  No.  Is  From  Easton  to  Newark,  ninety  and  a  half 

'  miles  freight, ,  $1  23 

Toll,  90| 

Newark  to  New  York,,  25 

’  '  ■  $2  38 $ 


No.  2.  Ftom  Easton  to  Black’s  Eddy,  twenty-five 
miles  freight. 

Toll, 

Boat, 

Unloading, 

Delaware  and  Raritan  to  New  Brunswick, 
fifty-seven  miles  toll, 

Freight, 

To  New  York,  forty-five  miles; 


25 

1 

3 

1,0 

48 
57 
45  . 


82  004 


No.  3.  From  Easton  to  Bristol,  sixty  miles  freight, 
Toll  thirty  cents,  boat  ditto  eight  cents, , 
Delaware  river  10  miles,  . 

Delaware  and  Raritan  canal,  forty  miles  freight, 

Toil, 

New  Brunswick  to  New  York,  forty-five  miles. 


60 

36 

10 

43 

43 

45 


$2  39 


The  cheapest  route  will  then  be  by  Black’s  Eddy  and  Delaware  and 
Raritan  feeder ;  and  the  amount  of  toll  received  by  Pennsylvania  on 
it  will  be  but  fifteen  and  a  half  cents  per  ton;  the  question  then  pre¬ 
sents  at  what  other  point  can  a  connexion  be  formed  between  the  two 
canals  which  will  be  more  acceptable  to  Pennsylvania,  and  not  objec¬ 
tionable  to  New  Jersey. 

Both  canals  lie  within  one  lift  of  the  water  in  the  Delaware,  imme¬ 
diately  above  the  head  of  Wells’  Falls,  from  thence  downward  the 
Delaware  and  Raritan  rises  above  the  water  so  rapidly  as  soon  to 


4 


t 


24 


require  several  locks  to  let  down  into  the  river ;  so  it  is  in  some  degree 
with  the  Delaware  division,  and  if  a  bonnexion  were  formed  below 
Wells’  Falls,  all  the  river  boats  which  would  incline  to  pass  into  either 
canal  must  pass  the  falls  going  to,  and  returning  from,  the  point  of  en-  p 

trance  of  the  canals.  An  entrance  at  the  head  of  these  falls  would  avoid 
this  danger  and  difficulty,  and  invite  those  boats  into  the  canals  whose 
owners  if  they  were  obliged  to  pass  the  falls  might  find  it  their  interest 
to  keep  on  the  river  :  a  connexion  at  a  lower  point  would  also  be  more 
objectionable  to  New  Jersey.  There  is  another  reason  for  a  connex¬ 
ion  at  this  point.  The  trade  from  the  borders  of  the  Delaware  on 
both  sides  will  seek  the  Philadelphia  or  New  York  market,  as  either 
may  suit  best,  this  trade  concentrates  at  the  two  villages  of  New 
Hope  and  Lambertsville,  and  unless  that  from  each  place  can  get  into 
the  opposite  canal  by  water  connexion,  it  will  be  charged  with  the  ex¬ 
pense  of  crossing  the  river  by  bridge  or  ferry. 

There  are  also  an  abundant  means  for  the  supply  of  lime  on  the 
Pennsylvania  side,  which  is  greatly  wanted  on  the  route  of  the  Dela¬ 
ware  and  Raritan  canal.  The  expense  of  hauling  lime  across  the 
river  in  waggons  adds  about  twenty-five  per  cent  to  its  cost  at  the 
Kilns. 

With  respect  to  the  coal  trade  it  should  be  observed,  that  Philadel¬ 
phia  can  be  supplied  rather  cheaper  from  the  Schuylkill  than 
from  the  Lehigh,  and  the  coal  from  the  latter  mines  can  be  taken 
cheaper  to  New  York  than  the  former,  hence  the  greater  part  of  the 
coal  from  the  Lehigh  will  be  taken  to  the  New  York  market,  it  will  of 
course  take  the  cheapest  route,  which  as  has  been  shewn  is  that  by 
Black’s  Eddy  to  the  Delaware  and  Raritan  feeder,  now  if  it  be  suppo-  \ 
sed  that  two  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  tons  of  coal  go  to  New  York, 
from  the  Lehigh,  the  difference  to  Pennsylvania,  between  itsdeaving 
her  canal  at  Black’s  Eddy  and  at  the  head  of  Wells’  Falls,  will  be  as 
follows : 

Two  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  tons  from  Easton  to  Wells’ 

Falls,  thirty-six  miles,  one  half  cent  toll, 

Boat  toll, 


Toll  from  Easton  to  Black’s  Eddy,  twenty-five 

miles,  a  half  cent,  31,500 

Boat  toll,  7,500 

In  favour  of  crossing  at  the  head  of  Wells’  Falls,  yearly, 


845,000 

10,500 


$55,500 


39,000 


$16,500 


It  is  true  there  will  be  a  corresponding  difference  against  the  Dela¬ 
ware  and  Raritan  canal,  but  this  may  be  compensated  in  another  way 
as  will  be  presently  shewn.  There  is  one  more  reason  for  making  a 
connexion  at  this  place ;  the  Delaware  division  of  the  Pennsylvania 
canal  is  now  fed  from  the  Delaware  river  by  an  expensive  machinery 
which  at  a  low  time  is  not  sufficient  to  supply  water ;  some  other  mode 
of  feeding  will  necessarily  be  resorted  to,  none  can  be  so*  effective  and 


25 


cheap  as  a  low  dam  across  the  river,  which  could  be  constructed 
without  any  injury  to  the  river  navigation,  and  at  comparatively 
small  expense,  about  one  third  of  the  work  being  now  completed  such 
a  dam  would  facilitate  the  crossing  of  boats,  improve  the  landings  at 
the  villages  above,  and  furnish  an  abundant  supply  of  water  for  the 
canal,  and  if  a  lock  were  put  in  from  the  Pennsylvania  canal  to  the 
river  at  the  foot  of  the  falls,  it  would  satisfy  every  reasonable  desire 
as  to  the  river  navigation.  Pennsylvania  may  indeed  as  has  been 
proposed,  equalize  her  advantages  by  imposing  the  same  toll  on  the 
produce  that  leaves  her  canal,  which  are  charged  upon  that  which 
passes  through  it,  but  this  policy,  however  just,  if  carried  far  enough 
to  answer  the  purpose  in  this  case  would  be  odious  to  the  community 
interested,  and  whenever  resorted  to,  would  probably  stimulate  great 
exertion  to  avoid  its  effects,  for  which  there  are  various  means.  First, 
A  reduction  of  tolls  on  the  Morris  canal.  Second,  An  extension  of 
the  Delaware  and  Raritan  feeder  up  the  river  with  a  tow  path  on  the 
Jersey  side,  where  the  water  suited.  And  Third,  A  resort  to  a  larger 
class  of  river  boats,  which  as  there  are  no  rapids  of  any  magnitude 
between  the  head  of  the  Delaware  and  Raritan  feeder,  and  Easton, 
could  with  an  improvement  of  the  channel  be  used  for  a  considerable 
part  of  the  year  with  advantage.  These  facts  shew  the  danger  of  at¬ 
tempting  a  rigid  countervailing  policy  and  the  greater  value  of  any 
arrangement  which  would  be  reasonable  and  acceptable  to  the  rival, 
canal  interest,  as  well  as  those  who  may  be  obliged  to  use  them. 

If  Pennsylvania  should  attempt  the  countervailing  system,  all  those 
of  her  own  citizens  who  may  be  affected  injuriously  by  it  will  con- 
1  tinually  struggle  to  have  it  abandoned,  and  when  the  trade  of  the 
North  Branch  of  the  Susquehanna,  and  the  lake  country,  shall,  as  it 
certainly  will,  be  brought  down  the  Lehigh,  the  interests  opposed  to 
the  system  will  embrace  a  great  extent  of  territory  and  population. 
f  It  has  already  been  strenuously  urged  upon  the  canal  commission¬ 
ers,  and  before  the  Pennsylvania  legislature,  to  make  outlet  locks  at 
Black’s  Eddy,  although  it  would  cost  Pennsylvania,  exclusive  of  the 
locks,  about  forty  or  fifty  thousand  dollars  to  make  a  new  feeder  to 
supply  the  loss  of  water  which  those  locks  would  occasion,  while  the 
whole  expense  of  an  outlet  at  the  head  of  Wells’,  with  an  increased 
supply  of  water  for  the  lower  division  of  the  canal,  and  lockage 
round  the  falls,  would  probably  not  cost  half  the  sum  necessary  to 
make  the  feeder  and  locks  at  Black’s  Eddy,  and  the  probable  addi¬ 
tional  tolls  on  coal  alone,  received  by  Pennsylvania,  would  be,  as 
shown  above,  upwards  of  sixteen  thousand  dollars  a  year.  These 
additional  tolls  must  be  greatly  increased  whenever  the  North  Branch 
trade  shall  be  added,  for  this  also  will  go  wherever  there  may  be  the 
best  market,  which,  before  the  opening  of  the  ice  on  the  Erie  canal, 
will  generally  be  in  New  York.  The  route  from  Ithica,  in  New 
York,  by  way  of  the  Lehigh,  will  become,  in  fact,  an  earlier  spring 
route  for  that  fertile  region  to  the  New  York  market,  with  a  choice  of 
Philadelphia  in  its  range :  ten  miles  of  tollage  on  the  products  and 
merchandise  will  be  of  no  small  consequence ;  but  a  satisfactory  ar¬ 
rangement  of  a  question  affecting  rival  interests,  and  a  complete 


4 


avoidance  of  a  countervailing  struggle  between  neighboring  States,  is 
an  object  of  perhaps  even  more  importance. 

The  inhabitants  of  New  Jersey  bordering  on  the  Delaware  above 
Wells’  falls,  have  been  long  in  the  habit  of  dealing  alternately  for 
produce  and  goods,  with  New  York  and  Philadelphia ;  and  they  are 
aware  of  the  same  practice  on  the  Penrisylvania  side  of  the  river ;  it 
is  important  to  both  interests  to  have  access  to  each  canal  without  the 
expense  of  crossing  the  bridge  or  a  ferry,  which  amounts  to  about 
one  dollar  per  ton.  They  are  aware  that  the  use  of  lime  is  highly 
important  to  the  lands  in  New  Jersey,  which  would  be  increased  "to  a 
great  extent  if  the  present  expense  of  getting  it  over  the  river  can  be 
avoided,  which  is  about  three  cents  per  bushel.  If  the  lime  were  re¬ 
lieved  from  this  charge,  it  could  be  taken  to  New  Brunswick  for  about 
the  same  sum  it  now  costs  in  Lambertsville,'  and  there  is  little  doubt 
but  that  ten  thousand  tons  of  it  might  be  sold  annually  between  Lam¬ 
bertsville  and  New  Brunswick.  No  other  connexion  than  that  at  the 
head  of  Wells’  falls  will  answer  this  purpose,  as  all  the  convenient 
bodies  of  the  best  limestone  on  the  Pennsylvania  side,  are  within  three 
or  four  miles  of  that  place  and  above  it.  The  importance  of  this  arti¬ 
cle  to  the  agriculture  of  this  part  of  New  Jersey  can  scarcely  be  ima¬ 
gined,  and  the  amount  of  toils  and  value  of  the  trade  and  transporta¬ 
tion,  as  it  were  thus  called,  is  well  worthy  of  attention.  It  is  impro¬ 
bable  that  even  the  New  York  market  may  be  ere  long  supplied  with 
a  considerable  portion  of  its  lime  through  this  channel,  as  by  the  use 
of  coal  for  fuel,  it  can  be  afforded  much  cheaper  than  when  it  is  burnt 
with  wood.  In  that  case  one  hundred  thousand  tons  would  not  be  an 
unreasonable  estimate  of  the  additional  demand. 

If  the  dam  already  commenced  at  the  head  of  Wells’  falls,  be  ex 
tended  across  the  river  and  locks  made  into  it,  the  expense  will  be  the 
same  to  pass  into  the  Delaware  and  Raritan  canal  at  this  place  that 
it  now  is  at  Black’s  eddy,  but  if  the  Delaware  and  Raritan  company 
make  a  corresponding  connexion  it  will  reduce  the  expense  on  coal  the 
amount  paid  for  unloading,  viz  :  ten  cents  per  ton,  and  the  Delaware 
and  Raritan  canal  company  will  be  more  than  compensated  for  the 
toll  on  the  ten  miles  of  their  feeder  by  the  introduction  of  the  lime 
stone  from  the  adjacent  quarries  in  Pennsylvania,  which  will  pass  a 
much  greater  distance  on  their  canal.  They  also  will  be  relieved 
from  the  unprofitable  strife  of  counteraction  and  violent  competition 
and  every  reasonable  desire,  as  well  of  the  State  of  Pennsylvania  as 
of  the  Delaware  and  Raritan  company,  and  of  the  people  interested  in 
transportation  on  these  canals  cannot  fail  to  be  satisfied 


27 


*  AGREEMENT  between  the  Commissioners  of  the  States  of  New 
^  Jersey  and  Pennsylvania ,  relative  to  the  use  of  the  waters  of  the 

river  Delaware. 

An  Agreement  made  and  concluded  between  James  Buchanan, 
Joseph  Burke  and  Roberts  Vaux,  Commissioners  appointed  by  virtue 
of  certain  resolutions  of  the  Legislature  of  Pennsylvania ;  and  Garret 
D.  Wall,  John  M.  Sherrerd,  and  Peter  J.  Stryker,  Commissioners  ap¬ 
pointed  by  virtue  of  similar  resolutions  of  the  Legislature  of  New 
Jersey : 

First.  It  is  declared  that  the  State  of  New  Jersey  may  take,  ©r 
cause  to  be  taken,  from  the  Delaware  river,  by  means  of  the  feeder 
at  the  head  of  Bull’s  Island,  as  much  water  as  may  be  necessary  to 
supply  the  Delaware  and  Raritar\  canal  for  the  purposes  of  navigation. 

Second.  It  is  declared  that  the  State  of  Pennsylvania  may  take, 
or  cause  to  be  taken  from  the  Delaware  river,  by  means  of  dams  and 
feeders  at  Wells’  Falls,  as  much  water  as  may  be  necessary  to  sup¬ 
ply  the  Delaware  division  of  the  Pennsylvania  canal,  as  far  as  the 
city  of  Philadelphia,  should  the  canal  be  so  far  extended,  for  the  pur¬ 
poses  of  navigation.  The  height  of  the  dam  to  be  constructed  by  the 
State  of  Pennsylvania  at  Wells’  Falls,  shall  not  exceed  three  feet  above 
the  surface  of  low  water  at  the  head  of  the  Falls.  There  shall  be  a 
sluice  in  the  dam  sixty  feet  wide,  and  at  least  three  hundred  feet  long, 
or  longer  if  necessary  to  make  a  secure  descending  navigation.  The 
walls  of  the  sluice  as  well  as  the  dam  shall  be  made  of  substantial  tim- 
I  ber  crib-work,  filled  with  stones,  and  the  upper  end  of  the  sluice  walls 
extending  into  the  dam  shall  be  made  sufficiently  high  to  afford  an  in¬ 
dex  to  watermen  of  the  channel  prepared  for  them.  Boats  or  other 
craft  ascending  the  river  shall  be  admitted  into  the  Pennsylvania  ca- 
f  nal,  by  locks  constructed  at  or  near  the  mouth  of  Neily’s  creek  ;*  and 
the  said  boats  or  other  craft  ascending  the  river  shall  be  let  out  into 
the  river  by  a  guard-lock  or  lift-locks  at  the  head  of  the  Falls,  free  of 
expense.  The  locks  shall  be  of  sufficient  capacity  to  admit  all  boats 
or  other  craft  which  can  navigate  the  Pennsylvania  canal.  A  good 
and  sufficient  channel  shall  be  kept  open  above  the  dam  of  sufficient 
depth  at  low  water  to  float  said  ascending  boats  or  other  craft  which 
may  pass  from  the  said  canal,  to  a  corresponding  depth  of  water  in 
the  river,  and  above  the  suction  of  the  said  sluice,  and  such  a  tow- 
path  as  may  be  necessary  for  this  purpose  shall  be  constructe  3.  Such 
locks,  channel  and  tow-path  shall,  at  all  times,  be  kept  in  good  repair 
by  the  State  of  Pennsylvania. 

Third.  The  State  of  New  Jersey  shall  cause  the  obstructions  to 
the  navigation  of  the  river  Delaware,  at  Scudder’s  Falls,  which  have  i 
been  placed  there  by  the  Trenton  Delaware  Falls  company,  to  be  re¬ 
moved  or  otherwise  obviated. 

Fourth.  Nothing  herein  contained  shall  be  construed  to  impair  or 
alter  the  contract  made  between  the  States  of  Pennsylvania  and  New 
Jersey  on  the  twenty-sixth  day  of  April,  one  thousand  seven  hundred 
and  eighty-three,  except  so  far  as  the  same  is  herein  declared. 


V  .  ,  \ 

28 

Fifth.  This  Agreement  shall  be  considered  as  a  joint  compact  be¬ 
tween  the  said  States,  and  the  citizens,  thereof  respectively,  whenever 
the  Legislatures  of  the  said  States  shall  severally  have  passed  laws  ap¬ 
proving  of  and  ratifying  the  same,  and  shalLthereafter  forever  be  irre¬ 
vocable  by  either  of  the  said  contracting  parties,  without  the  concur¬ 
rence  of  the  other. 

In  witness  whereof,  we,  the  Commissioners  of  the  aforesaid 
States,  have  set  our  hands  and  seals  Jo  two  instruments  of  the  Agree¬ 
ment,  one  for  each  State,  at  the  city  of  Philadelphia,  this  twenty-se¬ 
cond  day  of  November,  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  thirty-four. 

JAMES  BUCHANAN, 
JOSEPH  BURKE, 
ROBERTS  VAUX, 
GARRET  D.  WALL, 
JOHN  M.  SHERRERD, 

P.  J.  STRYKER. 


f 


$ 


